By Aluta News
Feb. 18, 2024
The president had directed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to release 42,000MT of maize, millet and other commodities from the national strategic reserves to address the rising cost of food in the country.
Oyintiloye, while speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo, said that the setting up of the taskforce would ensure that the grains get to the targeted Nigerians.
He said for the masses to benefit from the free grains, the president must set up a taskforce to ensure effective distribution and cripple the activities of saboteurs.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, said past experience has shown that the Federal Government free grains had not been reaching the targeted Nigerians due to the activities of saboteurs.
He said it would be a great disservice to the country and to the efforts of the president, if the gesture of the free grains is allowed to be hijacked by private individuals.
He said aside the staff of the National Emergency Management Agency and Department of State Services that would be engaged in the distribution, a special presidential taskforce should be deployed to states to ensure effective distribution.
Oyintiloye, who commended the president for the release of the grains, said those sabotaging government efforts must not be allowed to truncate the distribution process.
“There is no doubt that there is hunger in the land, but the efforts of the government in minimising the problems should not be allowed to be truncated by the enemies of the country.
“And that is why I appeal to the president to set up this special taskforce so as to outsmart those that are waiting to divert the grains.
“People are hungry, and this free grains by the government must be allowed to get to the masses and shouldn’t be diverted.
“With the presidential taskforce in place and with effective monitoring, it will be difficult for anyone, no matter how placed to have access in diverting the grains,” he said.
Oyintiloye, a former member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), also said the president’s directive that security agencies should go after those hoarding food is a welcome development.
He said with this presidential directive, those who were hoarding food to make unjustifiable gains would be brought to justice.
“We all know that the economy is in a bad shape, but the way some market men and women are using present situation to hike prices of foods to exploit Nigerians is alarming.
“Many of them are hoarding goods to create artificial scarcity in order to force the prices up and this is not good for the development of our country.
“I commend the president for this directive and I strongly believe that it will force prices of food down and make it available in abundance.
“The president should continue to braze up against enemies of this nation, who are making life unbearable for the masses,” he said.
Oyintiloye urged Nigerians to continue to support the president with prayers, noting that “Nigeria will rise again.”
NAN